Coconut Milk Secret Breakfast Ice Cream

Hey! How was your weekend? I was fortunate enough to be able to take Thursday and Friday off from work, so I did my best to disconnect from my computer as much as possible last week and enjoy the hot summer weather. It was pretty awesome, until I caved and preemptively checked my work email last night. Always a dumb idea, and yet I never seem to learn.

Anyway, I was putting together a list of my favorite San Francisco places for Amberly of The Good Life the other day, and one of the first things that came to mind was ice cream from Humphry Slocombe in the Mission. Now, this was pre-vegan for me, although I think they usually offer a couple of non-dairy sorbets in their rotation. It’s a small little shop with hardly any seating (or parking nearby, for that matter) and a line that stretches down the street, but with some of the most inventive flavors of ice cream, made from local and organic ingredients. Jesus Juice (seriously), Peanut Butter Curry, Pink Grapefruit Tarragon, Strawberry Candied Jalapeno, the list goes on.

In the thirty minutes I waited in that line, I’m fairly certain I cursed the neighborhood, the city, California in general with all of its hype and sky-high prices, and thought there was no way this ice cream could be worth all of the fuss. I mean, after you drive thirty minutes across town, spend twenty minutes looking for parking, and then wait another half an hour in line to pay something like $6 for two small scoops of ice cream, you’re almost certainly setting yourself up to be disappointed.

When it was finally my turn to order, I grumpily chose the flavor Humphry Slocombe is perhaps best known for – Secret Breakfast – a bourbon ice cream with corn flakes mixed in, heavy on the booze.

Holy. Shit. I try to keep the cursing to a minimum here, but this ice cream was that good. Perhaps life-changing good? I don’t know…I really love my ice cream, and having worked as a “professional” ice cream scooper for four years, I feel pretty confident in my judging abilities.

So, when Attune Foods sent me a sample of their Erewhon corn flakes that very same day (thanks, Annelies!), I took it as a sign from some greater power and I knew I had to create my own spin on the famous Secret Breakfast flavor. Minus the eggs and dairy, of course.

A vegan take on the famous Humphry Slocombe Secret Breakfast ice cream in San Francisco. A coconut milk base spiked with a hefty dose of bourbon and crunchy corn flakes. Equally indulgent & satisfying.

Place the bowl in the fridge and allow to chill for a couple of hours.

Once chilled, pour the coconut milk mixture into into an ice cream maker* (see note at the end of the post for an alternative) for about 25-30 minutes, or until the texture resembles soft-serve.

Add in the corn flakes and mix for another 30 seconds or so until they're evenly incorporated into the ice cream.

Enjoy immediately, or place the ice cream in a freezer-safe container and allow to firm up in the freezer for several hours or overnight.

Notes

I went a little crazy with the bourbon and ended up adding about 5 Tbs. total, which I later found to be too strong. I recommend starting with 2 Tbs. and tasting as you add more so you don't make the same mistake!
I love the slightly molasses flavor of the coconut sugar in this, but brown sugar, maple syrup, or agave would also be great.
You could try replacing the full fat coconut milk with light coconut milk, but I personally think full fat is the way to go here. It balances the alcohol and creates a super creamy ice cream. After all, the original Secret Breakfast flavor is anything but low-fat.

2.2.8

I used an ice cream maker to make mine, but I know this can be prohibitive for a lot of people. Katie of Katie Did recently wrote a post on how to make ice cream using ice cube trays and a blender. The texture looks phenomenal, and it couldn’t be any easier. I recommend giving that method a try if you don’t have an ice cream maker.

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So…what’s one of your most memorable foodie finds? Any hidden gems or places that are worth the hype?

That sounds amazing. Of course, I’d have to take the corn flakes off because I’m allergic to corn. But I love anything sweet that includes salt, and I’ve never made ice cream with coconut milk. I’m excited to try it!

You must try ice cream with coconut milk! It’s so, so good! You could also try subbing in something like brown rice crispies or even crushed pretzels in place of the corn flakes, or just make a bourbon ice cream. That alone is pretty damn good.

This is so different from anything I’ve ever seen (in a good way)! The craziest thing I like to do (that most people turn their nose up at) is eating saltines in vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup….it’s soooo good! This reminds me of that with the cream/crunch and sweet/salt factors going on.

I am so, so, so ashamed to admit that I live only blocks from Henry Slocombe but have never been there. I know it’s there. I walk by on a regular basis on my way to bart but that’s in the morning and I don’t need ice cream in the morning, corn flakes or not!
I hereby resolve to visit HS, try this ice cream, and then make this vegan version for my dairy-averse husband!

You must try their ice cream! They have some of the most crazy (but delicious!) flavors. I’m sad Boston doesn’t have something like it (there’s a place in Cambridge called Christina’s, but it’s not the same). I also liked Mitchell’s when I was living in SF, but Humphry Slocombe was by far my favorite.

ridiculous pictures, i could eat my screen- multiple times! funny I just posted an Attune recipe too great minds think alike… but really, how dangerous is having an ice cream maker? (i want i want i want)

WHOA. Greg would love this (and uh, so would I)- he is a big bourbon fan. It made you curse- so it must be good!
My favorite ice cream flavor is vanilla, plain and simple.
Do you have a Tutti Frutti in Boston? They have soy frozen yogurt- and I have to say- it’s better than their dairy froyo.

Aww thanks for mentioning me and my blog! I am now SO bummed we did not make it to Humphry Slocombe – my friend is obsessed with Bi-rite, but I have a feeling this would have been better. Next time…. But at least I now have this recipe thanks to you – and it looks delicious! Then I read the ingredients list and fell even more in love! Holy Shit is right! Haha. So making this this weekend!!!

So I just finished making this, swapping the bourbon (none in the house) for Malibu rum (remnants of my youth) and using the blender method, and…. It worked like a charm!!!!!! Never mind that I slurped several spoonfuls to make sure I was not poisoning my husband, this is going to blow his mind!!! i also swapped the corn flakes for some Nature’s Path Spelt flakes, just because I had some on hand! I will also make a non-boozy version for the kids, maybe with some chocolate chips…… Mmmmmmm…. thanks again!

I’m so glad you had success with the blender method! I was also guilty of tasting a few spoonfuls of the unfrozen ice cream…I bet it would make a great coffee creamer! I love your idea to try making a non-boozy version with chocolate chips – or maybe the boozy version with them – for adults, of course!